Boston Bruins forward Mark Kasetlic wasn’t afraid to drop the gloves in his return to the lineup following a one-game absence due to a lower-body injury.
Kastelic squared off against Utah Hockey Club defenseman Robert Bortuzzo not once, but twice through two periods. The two battled to a draw in the first bout but Kastelic annihilated Bortuzzo when they decided to tangle again late in the second period.
Kastelic unleased a bevy of right-handed haymakers on Bortuzzo to quickly drop him to the ice. You can watch the fight here.
It’s unclear exactly what led to the animosity between Kastelic and Bortuzzo. Bortuzzo wrapped up the Bruins fourth-liner as soon as he came off the bench for the first encounter and Kastelic repaid the favor in the second frame. That earned Kastelic an extra roughing penalty for the second fight.
Kastelic obviously wanted to provide a spark in the first game with interim head coach Joe Sacco at the helm of the Bruins. The first fight between Kastelic and Bortuzzo came 6:17 into the opening period.
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Kastelic sure seemed to accomplish his objective by injecting energy into the Bruins with his fighting spirit.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images